I know, the original of this post had incorrect dates, and I'm sorry I had to edit and resend it, but I didn't want any confusion about what needed to be done by a specific date. I also edited the instructions for the project and hope I clarified what a couple people may have found confusing!
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I went to bed last night about 12:30, and read to Felix while he rubbed my head. It is an almost nightly ritual that helps relax me so I can get maybe a couple hours of sleep (I have insomnia). I was happy, relaxed, fell asleep and awoke about 3:00 AM. I decided to go do the dishes, as they had piled up from me being "off" on Tuesday and Thursday! While working my way through one side of the divided sink--two dishes, a cereal bowl, utensils, a frying pan, ANOTHER dish--I got angry because this last dish had on it about eight large macaroni noodles, and Felix had put it in the right side of the divided sink. I am constantly reminding him that the garbage disposal is in the left sink, but to no avail.
I was frowning, picking up soggy noodles, trying to think of what I was going to say to him THIS TIME that might perhaps take hold in his memory banks so he would stop doing that... Then it dawned on me--those eight noodles were there reminding me that he didn't mind me being "off" on Tuesday and Thursday, and he cooked for me and cleaned as best as he could. He loves me that much. And I felt ashamed of myself, then, for being angry with him at all.
I know in my last post I spoke also of changing one's perspective (mine was about my physical pain), and I am thinking that perhaps there's a lesson or two here I REALLY need to learn--perhaps one of gratitude and perspective. Otherwise, why would something like this keep coming up in my life? There are so many people I know of who would LOVE the opportunity to clean up after someone else--anyone else--because they are alone. And when I think about the hundreds of thousands of others I do not know... well, that is pretty humbling!
My best friend in New York began a gratitude journal many years ago. I thought she was weird, writing down something she was grateful for, every day! I had never heard of such a thing! Then, over the years, I heard of it, more and more, from all sorts of people--people who were religious, people who were sad or depressed, people who were grieving, young people, old people, just people in general. And when I became a retail store-owner, I then had people coming in with scrapbooks that had begun as gratitude journals and evolved into an album, or that still were gratitude journals only. I realized that there must be something to it...for others. Never for myself. I didn't feel I really "needed" something like that--I was always grateful and was constantly praying throughout the day and telling God how grateful I was for everything that I had been blessed with. I didn't NEED to do something as silly as writing it all down!!!
Well, I am now convinced that this is EXACTLY what I need in my life, at this moment in time. I'm going to start with this blog post, and tell you one thing I am very grateful for--YOU!!! Thank you, my readers, customers, friends, and family for sticking by me, Felix, and Emery through everything Scrappersaurus has gone through (Hurricane Katrina, rebuilding, reopening, closing, health issues, etc.). For all of you, I am truly grateful.
Now, how about we add some fun to this post?
I was reading a new products catalog and came across a manufacturer that had records in one of their designs--you know, the old kind, like 45s or LPs--and one of the embellishments was so precious. After looking at it for a moment, I came up with my OWN way to make it, in the colors *I* want to make it. No, I do NOT have a picture of a finished product, and I'll tell you why at the end of these instructions. Make sure you read them fully before beginning. GO!!!
1. Cut a scalloped-edge circle the size you want your FINISHED embellishment to be. (You want to make it a color that coordinates well with your page as well as the other colors you choose for your "record".)
2. Using another piece of paper, cut a plain circle slightly smaller than the scalloped-edge one, so that when you place the plain one on top the scallops, only the scallops will show. This will be your "record". (Remember--although the majority of records came in black, there were some special editions released in other colors, like Elvis Presly's "Moody Blue", released in 1977, which was--sadly--the last album he made.)
3. Using another scrap of paper, cut a small circle to fit in the center of your large circle, which would be where the "record label" is with the song titles. (You can make your inner label any color you desire, as those came in different colors, usually depending on which record label (company) released the record.)
4. Using the Crop-A-Dile or a hand-punch, punch a hole in the center of #3 for where the spindle goes through on an LP, or for a larger hole use a circle punch for a 45.
5. Attach a small scrap of paper to the back of #3 to make #4 stand out.
6. Put your layers together, and now you have your very own record embellishment!
Above all, remember--have fun with your craft, and don't be afraid to experiment! Make records of all different colors with scrap paper to see what works best for you. You could even make the record large enough to fill an entire page, depending on what you want your finished project to look like. If you have a Cricut, it should be relatively easy to make different sized embellishments.
As an incentive to get you going and moving towards creating SOMETHING this week, I am going to give away a Tinkering Ink Peekaboo Album (4 Chipboard pages, 3 Clear Acrylic pages) to the person who uploads (via email attachment to Scrappersaurus@Yahoo.com) a completed "record" embellishment and receives the most votes. We will accept entries beginning today through Thursday, March 18th at Midnight. Sorry, no late entries, and we are not responsible for lost or misdirected email! On Friday, March 19th, at 12:01AM, we will open up VOTING FOR 48 HOURS ONLY. On Sunday, March 21st at 12:01 AM we will announce the winner. The prize will be mailed out to the winner the next day. We will also announce ANOTHER GIVEAWAY next Sunday!
CONTEST ENTRY RULES:
1. Create a completed "record" embellishment in your own choice of color scheme.
2. Send an email to Scrappersaurus@Yahoo.com with CONTEST ENTRY in the Subject Line.
3. Include in your email to us: a) Your full name, b) complete street mailing address, c) daytime phone number and cell phone number so we can contact you if necessary, and d) your RECIPE for which materials and tools you used to create your finished product. You do NOT have to give dimension measurements unless you wish to include them so others can duplicate what you've done.
4. Attach your entry to the email. You may scan it or take a photograph of it--it doesn't matter, however, it MUST be in a .jpg file format. Please make sure your image shows the entire embellishment, and that it is clear enough to make out the details. If you put journaling on it and don't mind sharing, you can include in your email to us what the journaling says, and we'll add it next to your entry.
THIS is why I didn't include a picture of one already done!!!
Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!
Dee
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